We had a 10-point program where we had asked for the abolition of racial discrimination in city employment. We had asked for fair treatment of Blacks when applying for welfare aid, and aid to dependent children. We had asked for the abolition of police brutality and all forms of racial discrimination, and we had asked that all of the schools be integrated.

So as a result of this, this created much animosity in the community. Most of all, this animosity was directed at me as the head of the local NAACP. So many the threats were made by the Klan that it was necessary to form an armed guard. We formed an armed guard. We armed the people; we kept armed men to protect our community from Klan invasion.